Spring arrives and the land smiles

The following day, at 9:00 AM, was a day of rest.

When Qingyan woke up, she was sleeping in Qi Shen's arms.

Qi Shen held her carefully, but he slept restlessly. He would open his eyes whenever Qing Yan moved slightly.

"You, are you sensitive to sleeping in unfamiliar beds?" Qingyan looked up at Qi Shen.

"No, no," Qi Shen quickly replied, his eyes sparkling as he looked at Qing Yan, unable to hide his cautious joy.

Qingyan smiled. Her eagerness to deny it meant she probably wouldn't admit it even if she was a light sleeper.

Qingyan found it amusing to tease him: "However, I'm not used to sleeping in your bedchamber, so if you can't stand it, then don't come to serve me in bed anymore."

"I don't recognize it, I don't recognize this bed." Afraid that Qingyan would misunderstand, Qi Shen became a little anxious and quickly hugged her tighter.

It's really funny.

Qingyan pushed Qi Shen away, got up and got out of bed, but her legs were weak and she fell back onto the bed.

Qi Shen, quick-witted and agile, scooped her up and pulled her into his arms.

She didn't feel it while lying down, but as soon as she moved, she felt like her body was about to fall apart. Qingyan steadied herself and swallowed the reprimand that was about to come out.

Taking a deep breath and thinking about what Qi Shen had said last night, Qing Yan pinched Qi Shen's chin and said, "I'll give you the time it takes to drink a cup of tea to recover, otherwise—" Qing Yan raised an eyebrow, "I'll make you feel what I've been through."

Qi Shen looked at Qing Yan's blushing face and nodded with great joy.

As expected, the Qi family of Sichuan, which was as famous as the Immortal Doctor Valley, also had unparalleled medical skills. In the time it would take to drink a cup of tea, not even half a moment wasted, Qi Shen fed Qingyan a pill, and Qingyan's body quickly recovered.

Refreshed.

Qingyan asked curiously, "This medicine is so miraculous, is it made with special medicinal ingredients?"

Qi Shen smiled and said, "It's just an ordinary tonic, prepared using the Qi family's medical formula, which makes it even more effective."

"Qing'er is still young. This medicine can help with fertility and improve her health. However, Qing'er is eager to get pregnant. Otherwise, if she waits another year or two until her body is more mature, the risks of getting pregnant and giving birth will be much lower."

"A woman's body is fully developed at twenty, and she is in her prime for childbearing."

That's quite right.

In this era, girls married at fifteen or sixteen, and most became mothers by seventeen or eighteen. Some even married as young as thirteen or fourteen. Those who could wait until eighteen or nineteen to marry were usually from wealthy families and whose parents loved their daughters dearly.

Originally, as a royal princess, Qingyan could have married late as she pleased, but sitting in a high position, she was no longer in control of her own destiny, and it was wishful thinking to wait until the scientifically appropriate age for childbearing.

In another month it will be Qingyan's nineteenth birthday. At this time, getting pregnant and giving birth has greatly increased the chances of survival. Qingyan feels that she has been lucky all along, so it doesn't hurt to take a gamble.

Thinking this, Qingyan said it aloud.

But Qi Shen felt a surge of panic upon hearing this. He hugged Qing Yan tightly, his fingers still trembling slightly: "Qing'er, I will definitely not let anything happen to you. With me here, Qing'er will definitely be able to give birth safely. Trust me."

"I believe you, I believe you." Qingyan patted Qi Shen. "Luo Qing also promised this time that with the two of you here, I won't die."

"Qing'er, although offspring are important, I hope you will only have one child. Childbirth is like passing through the gates of hell. Not only that, but multiple births will also damage the mother's body. Qing'er, it's not worth taking such a risk." Qi Shen's eyes were full of heartache.

Luo Qing had said the same thing; the two of them were truly identical.

Qingyan smiled and said, "In that case, do you have a recipe for having twins? I can then have twins at once and have peace of mind."

Qi Shen: "Twins are even more risky and not advisable."

Qing said, "Twins are not advisable, nor is having more children. We must choose the lesser of two evils."

Qi Shen: "Qing'er, I can't say for sure."

Qing said, "If you can't tell, just let nature take its course."

Qi Shen sighed softly, his mind racing with even more calculations.

The Empress's harem now consists of only two people, with the other being proud and awkward and afraid to show herself, which naturally benefits Qi Shen.

For three whole days, Qi Shen used all sorts of tricks to seduce Qing Yan, even resorting to the style of a brothel.

"The eldest son of the prestigious Qi family actually knows all this. Where did you learn it?" Qingyan asked with a light laugh, twirling a strand of Qi Shen's hair with her finger.

Qi Shen blushed and did nothing but act instead of answering.

On the evening of the third day, when Ning Yuan returned to the palace, Qing Yan was being held by Qi Shen and was dozing off in the bath.

The pool full of petals and peach-colored ribbons hanging on the snow-white skin created an atmosphere that was both intense and ambiguous.

Suddenly, Zhui'er's voice came urgently from outside the bathroom: "General Ning, His Majesty is taking a bath."

"It's alright, I just want to see her." Ning Yuan couldn't wait to go inside.

Zhuier quickly stopped him: "General Ning, please wait here. I will inform him immediately."

This illogical obstruction seemed more like an attempt to cover up the truth, and Ning Yuan immediately realized it:

"Is Lord Fu inside?"

If I remember correctly, Luo Qing returned to Immortal Doctor Valley, and Lan Zhen went to Suizhou to mobilize troops, so it's impossible for them to return so quickly. That means it must be Yun Xuan.

Zhui'er glanced at Ning Yuan furtively, then stammered and gave an ambiguous answer: "There are indeed people inside. Wait, wait for me to inform them."

"No need." Ning Yuan felt a pang of jealousy and turned to leave.

Zhui'er breathed a long sigh of relief.

Ning Yuan was furious and quickly left the Jingxin Hall, only to run into Yun Xuan at the entrance.

"Why are you here?"

"Why can't I be here?" Yunxuan found Ning Yuan's behavior inexplicable. "I just solved a series of murders in the capital and haven't been back for seven days. I just got back today. What did I do to offend you?"

Ning Yuan: "If you're here, then who's in the bathroom?"

Yunxuan: "What bathroom?"

Seeing that Yunxuan was also confused, Ning Yuan pulled him back, and soon they arrived at the bathroom door again.

Just as Zhuier was about to go in to report, she saw the two of them come in together. She immediately felt that something was wrong and quickly reached out to stop them: "Your Majesty, he is, he is taking a bath. Please wait a moment, my lords. Please allow me to inform you."

"no need."

Ning Yuan pulled Yun Xuan inside.

When he saw Qingyan, Qi Shen was drying her hair. Her long, dark hair was moving back and forth in Qi Shen's hands, looking particularly tender.

In particular, their clothes were loose and half-open, revealing an ambiguous relationship.

"Yan'er."

"Jiaojiao."

When Qingyan heard the two calling her, she was slightly taken aback at first, and then she turned her head and saw that the two looked furious.

Upon seeing the two, Qi Shen's eyes darted around. He put down the cloth in his hand and took a step back.

Qingyan noticed Qi Shen's unusual behavior, but Ning Yuan and Yun Xuan had already arrived.

"Yan'er, what is he doing here?" Ning Yuan asked matter-of-factly.

Perhaps because her feelings for Ning Yuan were unusual deep down, Qing Yan glanced back at Qi Shen with a guilty conscience, then quickly stepped forward and hugged Ning Yuan's arm.

"He, he, he came to take a bath."

Ugh, what am I even saying? Can I repeat myself?

Qingyan tilted her head and silently berated herself.

“He’s taking a bath in your tub, I don’t even get that kind of treatment.” Yunxuan stepped forward as well.

"Then, you can come next time, and everyone can come." After Qingyan finished speaking, she wished she could shut up.

Seeing this, Qi Shen's heart sank, and he knelt down with a thud:

"I have overstepped my bounds, and I beg Your Majesty to punish me."

This kneeling momentarily stunned Qingyan, Ningyuan, and Yunxuan.

Qingyan took a deep breath, looked at Qi Shen kneeling before her, then at Ning Yuan and Yun Xuan, straightened her clothes, and walked to the soft couch behind her to sit down:

"Qi Shen, get up."

Her voice was no longer as sweet as before; instead, it had a touch of authority.

Qi Shen stood up and stood next to Qing Yan, a slight smile curving his lips.

"It was just a bath. Qi Shen is serving the emperor, it was just his duty. You two haven't been back to the palace for a long time, and you question me as soon as you return. You have quite the nerve."

These accusations startled Ning Yuan and Yun Xuan. They clenched their fists and knelt down.

"I have overstepped my bounds."

Already feeling somewhat guilty, Qingyan told the two to get up and waved them all away. She felt annoyed for a while, but when she thought of Qi Shen, she felt that it was the right thing to do. She was truly caught in a dilemma.

Back in her bedchamber, Zhui'er helped Qingyan to bed, but the events of the day kept Qingyan awake.

While tossing and turning in bed, Qingyan suddenly felt a slight sag on one side of the bed, and a hand wrapped around her waist.

The familiar scent told me who it was without even looking.

"Weren't you angry? You finally decided to come." Qingyan said deliberately, feigning emotion.

"If I hadn't come, who knows who would have taken advantage of the situation?" Ning Yuan tightened his grip on Qing Yan's waist.

Qingyan turned to face Ningyuan, her soft breath spraying onto Ningyuan's chest, making him feel a little hot, and he couldn't help but tighten his embrace around the soft woman.

"During the days you were away from the palace, I received memorials every day urging you to give birth. I got tired of hearing them, so I summoned Qi Shen to discuss it, and then—"

"And then you got seduced by him," Ning Yuan said somewhat sullenly. "So you actually like the atmosphere of brothels. I underestimated you."

"No, no, he wanted to do it himself, so I just, just—" Qingyan felt that if she continued to explain, she would only make things worse.

"Never mind, it was bound to happen sooner or later. Yunxuan informed us, but it was three months later than I expected." Ning Yuan seemed somewhat relieved.

"Expected?" Qingyan shifted, nestled against Ning Yuan's chest, suddenly realizing that things weren't as simple as she'd imagined. "You're not plotting against me, are you?"

“He has properly married into the family and has worked diligently and conscientiously for over a year. It’s time to give him a proper title. Besides, Lan Zhen has suffered serious injuries. In order to make a suitable pill for Lan Zhen, he didn’t hesitate to personally test the medicine, and almost lost his life several times. Fortunately, Luo Qing was there to protect him, and he was able to escape danger. So, we already consider him one of our own.” Ning Yuan sighed.

"So, he dances in front of me every day and relies on me for everything, all at your behest?" Qingyan suddenly understood why Qi Shen had suddenly become so bold.

"He was willing to do it himself; we were just going with the flow."

"Alright, if that's the case, with him, I won't need you anymore."

Qingyan used both her hands and feet to kick Ningyuan off the bed, then raised her hand and instructed Zhui'er:

“Go and call Qi Shen to serve me in bed. And this one,” Qingyan pointed to Ning Yuan sitting on the ground, “throw him out.”

"Yan'er, I was wrong." Ning Yuan quickly got up, hugged Qing Yan tightly, and then secretly waved for Zhui'er to leave.